Package of stacked containers



H. E. TAYLOR PACKAGE OF STACKBD CONTAINERS Aug. 26, 1969 Filed April 29,1968 United States Patent 3,463,306 PACKAGE OF STA'CKED CONTAINERSHalfred E. Taylor, Bedford Hills, N.Y., assignor to PackagingCorporation of America, Evanston, 111., a corporation of Delaware FiledApr. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 724,877 Int. Cl. B65d 85/62 US. Cl. 20665 3Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A package is provided which includesstacks of cylindricallly shaped containers, said stacks being of equalheight and arranged in abutting side-by-side relation to form a row, anda sleeve-like wrapper snugly encompassing said stacks. The wrapperincludes a top panel which overlies and is in contact with the upper endlimits of the accommodated abutting stacks, a bottom panel whichsubtends and is in contact with the lower end limits of said stacks, andside wall panels which foldably interconnect corresponding peripheralportions of said top and bottom panels. The foldline connections betweenthe side wall panels and the top and bottom panels are interrupted byslots. Corresponding slots in the top or bottom panel accommodatediametrically opposed peripheral portions of the end limit of anadjacent stack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Merchandising of goods, such as cannedsoups, fruits, vegetables, juices, etc. in supermarkets and the like hasheretofore been beset with numerous shortcomings which effect both theretailer and customer.

From the retailers standpoint, such merchandising frequently involved aninordinate amount of manual labor in handling the individual articlesduring restocking of shelves, setting up of promotional displays, pricemarking the individual articles, and repacking the purchased articlesfor the customer at the checkout station. Furthermore in many instancesthe stacking of the individual articles for promotional displays or onthe retail shelves was a precarious operation because of thesusceptibility of the stacks to collapse with possible injury to personor damage to the goods itself.

On the other hand, from the customers point of view, such merchandisingrequired an inordinate amount of handling by the customer in removing alarge quantity of such goods from the shelf or promotional display andthen again at the check-out station. Not only did removing of theindividual articles from a shelf or display require considerable effort,but in addition it was frequently an awkward and sometimes hazardousmanipulation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is an object of this invention toprovide a package for canned goods or the like which avoids theaforenoted shortcomings associated with prior merchandising of suchgoods.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a package which issimple and inexpensive, attractive in appearance and facilitateshandling of the goods.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a package whichaffords good product exposure and thus renders the product moreeye-appealing to the customer.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a package which iscapable of accommodating products varying in size and shape over a widerange.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a package which iseasy to assemble either manually or by automatic equipment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a package which iscompact, and because of product exposure permits the product to bereadily cooled without being removed from the package.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention a package for aplurality of cylindrically shaped containers is provided. The containersare arranged in stacks of equal height which are disposed in abuttingside-by-side relation so as to form a row. Each stack is formed of twocontainers arranged in end-to-end superposed relation. Snuglyencompassing the abutting stacks is a sleeve-like member which includesa top panel, a bottom panel and side wall panels; the latter foldablyinterconnecting corresponding peripheral portions of the top and bottompanels. The top panel overlies and is in contact with the upper endlimits of the accommodated stacks and the bottom panel subtends and isin contact with the lower end limits of said stacks. Each side wallpanel contacts a portion of the vertical wall of each stacked container.The edge portions of the side wall panels which are connected byfoldlines to the top and bottom panels are provided with a plurality ofslots. Each slot accommodates a peripheral portion of the end limit of astack and cooperates with the remaining slots to restrain lateralmovement of the accommodated stacks within the sleeve-like member.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference should bemade to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the improved package takenfrom above;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the blank for the sleeve-likemember;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but of amodified form of package;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the package shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary right side elevational view of the package shownin FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the blank for the sleeve-likemember shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, one formof the improved package 10 is shown. The :package in question isuniquely suitable for merchandising a plurality of canned goods 11, suchas soups, fruits, vegetables, juices, etc. The goods 11 in question arenormally packed in cylindrically shaped metallic containers which havesubstantially flat end limits 12. The end limits are usually delimitedby chimes 13 or beadlike members formed at the juncture of the endlimits and the cylindrical side walls 14. In the improved package 10,the containers 11 are arranged in vertical stacks of two containerseach. The stacks are of equal height and are positioned in abuttingside-by-side relation so as to form a row. The configuration of eachcontainer end limit 12 is substantially the same.

The row of stacked containers is snugly encompassed by a wrapper orsleeve-like member 15 which is formed from a blank 16 of paperboard orother suitable sheet material. The wrapper illustrated in FIGS. 1 andincludes a top panel 17, a bottom panel 18 and side wall panels 20 whichfoldably interconnect corresponding peripheral portions of the top andbottom panels 17 and 18. One of the side Wall panels 20 is formed intotwo sections 20a and b, which, when the Wrapper is encompassing theabutting stacks, have the ends thereof secured to one another inoverlapping relation by adhesive or some other suitable means.

The top panel 17 of wrapper is adapted to overlie and be in contact withthe upper end limits 12 of the stacks. The bottom panel 18, on the otherhand, subtends and is in contact with the lower end limits of theaccommodated stacks. The top and bottom panels in the illustratedembodiment are of like configuration. The side wall panels are connectedto opposite peripheral portions of the top panel 17 by substantiallyparallel foldlines 21 and to opposite peripheral portions of the bottompanel 18 by substantially parallel foldlines 22. The foldlines 21 areeach interruptedby a plurality of slots 23, the number of whichcorresponds to the number of stacks accommodated within the wrapper 15.In a like manner each foldline 22 is interrupted by slots 24. In wrapper15 the slots 23 and 24 are formed by arcuate cuts which extend into therespective side wall panel. When the wrapper 15 is in set-up condition,the slots become apparent and each receives an adjacent portion of theend limit and a contiguous portion of the wall of one of the stackedcontainers. Corresponding slots accommodate opposite peripheral portionsof the container end limit and firmly restrain lateral movement of thestacked container while the latter is encompassed by the wrapper.

The side wall panel 20 may be various esthetic shapes; however, when thewrapper is set up and is encompassing the stacks, each panel 20 willengage a portion of the upright cylindrical wall 14 of each stackedcontainer 11. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the central portion 25 of eachside wall panel 20 is narrower than the end portions 26 so that agreater portion of each accommodated container 11 is exposed. Where thecontainer 11 bears an attractive label, the eye-catching appeal of thepackage 10 is enhanced. Furthermore, where the containers 11 because oftheir contents require refrigeration, the greater exposure of theaccommodated containers permits the latter to be readily cooled withoutfirst being removed from the wrapper 15.

It will be noted that by reason of the location of the slots 23 and 24in the wrapper 15, there is provided continuous bands of blank materialwhich extend transversely of the foldlines 21 and 22. These bands A, Band C are indicated in FIG. 5 by dash-lines on the top panel 17 andbottom panel 18. Bands A and C, which are hereinafter referred to as theouter bands, engage the outermost peripheral portions X of the endlimits which are diametrically opposite the point Y of abutting contactbetween the end limits of the pair of accommodated stacks, see FIG. 1.Thus, any tendency, for example, of the top containers of the stackspivoting upwardly and outwardly about point Y as a fulcrum iselfectively restrained by the outer bands snugly contacting andoverlying the outermost peripheral portions X of the end limits. Thecenter band B also snugly overlies the abutting point Y at the top andunderlies the corresponding point at the bottom of the stacks therebyassisting to restrain the aforesaid pivoting action. In addition, band Beffectively serves to retain the containers in their stacked relationand prevent any relative endwise movement thereof.

In forming the package 10, the pair of abutting stacks are initiallylocated or spotted in proper positions on bottom panel 18 while thewrapper 15 is in its unfolded position as shown in FIG. 5. The side wallpanel sections 20a and b of the wrapper are then manipulated so that thewrapper snugly. encompasses the stacks. The sections 20a and b of thewrapper, when so manipulated, are secured by adhesive, heat seal,staples, or the like in partial overlapping relation so as to form oneof the side wall panels 20. It is important that the wrapper tightly orsnugly encompasses the stacks so that the top and bottom panels willprevent relative endwise movement of the stacks or the containersforming same, the outer bands A and C will restrain pivoting movement ofthe containers, and the slots 23 and 24 will prevent lateral movement ofthe stacks.

FIGS. 6-9 disclose a modified wrapper 25 which is similar inconstruction to wrapper 15 except that a narrow panel 26 is interposedand foldably connected to the upper or lower edge of each side wallpanel 20 and the adjacent top or bottom panel 17-18. As seen in FIG. 9which illustrates in part the blank of wrapper 25, the panels 26adjacent top panel 17 are each provided with slots 27 which are largerin size than slots 23 and 24 and are adapted to accommodate a greaterportion of a stacked container when the package is formed. It will benoted in FIG. 8 that panels 26 converge to a substantial extent towardthe top panel 17 and thus more securely lock the stacked containersagainst lateral movement. The same panel and slot arrangement for thetop panel 17 is provided for the bottom panel 18 of wrapper 25.

Either wrapper 15 or 25 may be formed of paperboard or like material ofsuitable point whereby attractive and/ or informative indicia may beimprinted on the exposed surfaces of the wrapper. Furthermore, ifdesired, the number of stacks of containers comprising the accommodatedrow may be increased from that shown. In addition, while the containersare shown of equal height, this is not essential to practicing theinvention.

Thus, it will be seen that a package for a plurality of cylindricallyshaped containers has been provided which is of simple and inexpensiveconstruction, reduces materially the handling of goods of this type,facilitates stacking of such goods for displays or the like, andenhances the attractive appearance of the goods.

I claim:

1. A package for a plurality of cylindrically shaped containers havingend walls of substantially like configuration, said package comprisingat least two upright stacks of containers arranged in abuttingside-by-side relation, each of said stacks being of substantially thesame height, two containers forming each stack and being disposed inaligned end-to-end abutting relation; and a sleeve-like wrapper snuglyencompassing said abutting stacks, said wrapper including top and bottompanels which are in contact with and overlie and subtend respectivelythe entire upper and lower end walls of all of said abutting stacks, andvertically extending side wall panels foldably interconnectingcorresponding peripheral portions of said top and bottom panels, saidside wall panels being disposed on opposite sides of and insubstantially parallel relation to a common plane passing through thevertical axes of all of the abutting stacks, each side wall panel beingin simultaneous contact throughout the height of the package withcorresponding exposed vertically extending peripheral portions of theabutting stacks, each side wall panel having substantial segments of thevertical marginal portions thereof recessed so as to expose substantialportions of the vertical walls of the end stacks of the abutting stacks;the foldline connections between said top panel and said side walls andbetween said bottom panel and said side walls being interrupted by aplurality of spaced slots extending into the respective side wall panel,corresponding slots in the foldlines between said top panel and saidside wall panels snugly accommodating diametrically opposed peripheralportions of the upper end wall of the adjacent stack, and correspondingslots in the foldlines between said bottom panel and said side wallpanels snugly accommodating diametrically opposed peripheral portions ofthe lower end wall of the adjacent stack; corresponding upper and lowerslots foldline are spaced inwardly from the end limits thereof 5 andcooperate with said top, bottom, and side Wall panels to form aplurality of continuous bands for restraining relative endwise andlateral movement of said stacks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1951 Currie. 4/ 1960 Arneson.

6 3,122,302 2/1964 Wood 206-65 X 3,224,630 12/1965 Spery 20665 X3,386,643 6/1968 Gentry 206- 65 X FOREIGN PATENTS 614,361 2/ 1961Canada. 1,408,375 7/1965 France. 1,469,554 1/1967 France.

10 MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner

